Project description
Early detection of novel biomarker for acute myeloid leukaemia in peripheral blood
Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) accounts for almost 80 % of all leukaemia cases among adults. Even with recent advancements in its management, prognosis remains very poor, especially among the elderly. The low effectiveness of AML treatment is associated with the lack of early diagnostics. Spain-based company Leukos Biotech has identified a new biomarker for the early detection and prognosis of AML. The biomarker can be detected and quantified, using a proprietary in vitro diagnostic test, via routine clinical blood analysis instead of bone marrow samples. The test will allow determining patient risk groups and monitoring for recurrence after the treatment. The EU-funded SeroStrat project will focus on the technical validation of the test and the finalisation of the business plan.
Objective
Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) accounts for about 25% of all leukaemia in the Western world. Its overall survival rate for 5 years is the lowest of all types of leukaemia (27%): above 60% of AML patients will succumb to the disease. Currently, there is no method for early detection of AML. It is diagnosed based on the presence of blasts in bone marrow samples and must be treated immediately to avoid a near-future death. Due to this late detection, AML treatment is of low effectiveness.
The aggressive and often fatal nature of AML makes it a priority for developing early and fast diagnostic and prognostic tools. We have identified a new biomarker for the early detection and prognosis of AML. This biomarker is detected and quantified by our innovative In vitro Diagnostic Test (IVD), named Serostrat, via a fast, cheap and routinely clinical blood analysis. We own the exclusive exploitation rights of SeroStrat. SeroStrat specifically targets the AML biomarker in blood cells, discriminates between AML unfavourable risk patients and AML patients with intermediate risks; is low-invasive and painfulness (only requires a blood sample instead of bone marrow samples); is fast and non-expensive (it can be used routinely in clinics in blood samples analysis by Flow cytometry) and will permit risk groups (persons aged >65), AML new patients, and persons in remission to be monitored easily and accurately for signs of recurrence.
We are Leukos Biotech S.L. (Leukos), a Spanish spin-off company founded in 2015 from the prestigious Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute. Our goal is to enter fully into the biopharma sector, which will allow us to move to a business model which will create 50 new jobs and cumulative profits about € 22M by 2024.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1Coordinator
08021 Barcelona
Spain
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.